


Table for Two

by xiujaemin



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-09
Updated: 2014-07-09
Packaged: 2018-10-18 21:24:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10625409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiujaemin/pseuds/xiujaemin
Summary: There’s this café wedged between a fast food chain and a book store that overlooks the park, where Minseok always sees a boy waiting for someone who will never come.





	

**Author's Note:**

> title taken from [this](http://www.femalenetwork.com/summit-books/table-for-two/) book, which also inspired this fic

  
Minseok settles down on his usual seat beside the café’s message board, espresso in his right hand and a tuna sandwich on the other. He glances at the notes posted on the board, a sea of varying colors of torn memo pads and table napkins pinned side-by-side, some overlapping a few of the previous postings. His eyes dart from note-to-note, wondering what the story behind every message is. He doesn’t write rude or sarcastic comments on the notes however, because he isn’t like his friend, Chanyeol who judges every unreadable letter and squints at every grammatical error.

The glass door of the café is pushed open and bells chime, signaling the entrance of a new customer, except that when Minseok looks up to see snapbacks pulled low over chestnut hair, he knows that he isn’t a new customer from the frequent visits he gives the café every Saturday to take a break from the stress of college life.

Amongst all of the memories being made and stories being hidden behind every crevice in the café, he is interested with this person’s side the most, wanting to know what is with sitting on a table for two, with only one person occupying the seat for the whole day when there is a table for just one anyway.

Yixing, the barista knowingly greets the regular customer with a smile of familiarity and a respectful bow, and he bows back before simply nodding, taking a seat on his usual spot three tables away from Minseok. The ends of the Yixing’s lips quirk up higher in understanding, knowing by heart what the usual was and starts pouring coffee on a mug and mixing sugar and milk to make the perfect cappuccino, practiced hands guiding the toothpick to form intricate designs with the use of the foam that has gathered on top. He writes on the topmost sheet of the memo pad left lying on the counter and writes something with a blue marker, before ringing the bell and letting the maintenance guy call for a certain “Jongdae” (because it'd definitely be weird if he'd tap morse code on the table, and he couldn't leave the counter because well, who'll man it?).

 _So that’s his name,_ Minseok nods to himself, committing the name to memory. It’s the first time that he’s arrived before the regular did, and even though he tries his best to hide his curiosity as to why the guy always sat on that table for two, seeming to always wait for someone, he just couldn’t take his eyes off of the sad and disappointed expression on the male’s face whenever 5pm comes before leaving.

Jongdae laughs upon reading the note that the barista hands him, shaking his head and replying a definite “no” before heading back to his seat, crossing his legs and scrolling through his phone.

_Have you found someone new? Or did you see him again?_

Minseok blinks, unsure of whether the bitter sorrow in Jongdae’s eyes and the underlying gloom in his laugh were all just in his head. He then remembers the yellow memo pad attached to his own mug and removes it with nimble fingers, lips curling up in amusement at the extra service Yixing gives to regular customers.

_It’s time to try out something new today! You’ll never know how things might turn out and surprise you._

He isn’t sure if Yixing’s trying to be a human fortune cookie or is just giving friendly advice, but he definitely wishes that the barista wasn’t mute so they could easily talk about things without the need for pens and scratch papers, because Minseok’s sure they’d definitely get along pretty well.

Minseok takes a bite of the sandwich, chewing at it thoughtfully and giving Jongdae a cursory glance, wondering if he’s right; that maybe the guy _was_ waiting for someone, someone who never shows up.

And in actuality, Minseok is right, because even Jongdae knows that he’s waiting for someone who would never come. Maybe Yixing was right and it was just a one-time fling, a single day of happiness from being able to hang out with a guy that he seems to connect with more than anyone else in a café that he just decided to take a peek at back when the tea shop he frequents was too full.

And Jongdae hopes, and _hopes, and hopes_ that Junmyeon would fulfill his promise of calling back, that someday he’d show up in the café with a “Sorry for making you wait” on his lips, and even if it was over half a year ago, Jongdae would give in to that warm smile like nothing happened.

But even then, he’s known that no matter how much he wishes for it, no matter how hard he closes his eyes and keep on whispering to himself that Junmyeon will keep his promise, no matter how many meteor showers pass by and no matter how many 11:11’s he wishes upon, he knows that he will never call.

“Pretty desperate, aren’t we? You know, bribing me with a drink just so I’d come here.” Baekhyun plops down on the seat from across him, a seat that he’s always only imagined Junmyeon to be sitting in. He dismisses the thought and greets his best friend with a baleful grin. “Good to see you too, shit face. Nice of you to show up fifteen minutes late.”

“What, it’s fifteen minutes! What’s the difference that’s gonna make when I turn up late for a quarter of an hour?” Baekhyun shakes his head, tapping lithe fingers on the wooden table. “Anyways, it’s you who needs me, not the other way around. But go on, spill. No more delaying tactics like last time. My time is more expensive than gold.” He knows that Baekhyun doesn’t mean it, that he’s the one who probably prompted to be invited, hinting at “I’m your best friend, why am I the last one to know?” when Jongdae sorta maybe slipped. Baekhyun _is_ his best friend after all, but that’s the problem: he’s too embarrassed to tell him. _Because_ he’s his best friend and he knows him all too well to understand how things end up.

Jongdae internally winces at the memory of Baekhyun’s sudden fit of resentment when he asked him what really happened, only to be answered with a dismissive, “Nothing.” He starts from the very beginning, relief coursing through his veins as he unfolds the story page by page. Baekhyun isn’t the type to just listen to every word he says, of course, interjecting some comments here and there about how dumb he can be. But they don’t notice a pair of eyes observing them three tables away, face partly hidden by the cup of coffee he raises to his mouth to take a sip. Or at least, Jongdae doesn’t.

Baekhyun steals a drink from Jongdae’s cup and makes a face, not used to the sugary bitterness of cappuccino when his story comes to an end, the last page left open for reconsideration. His best friend sighs as if the weight of the world is on his shoulders and jokingly mutters “depressed people and their depressing problems” before giving him a pat on the cheek and a considerate smile. “You know what, I think you need a fresh start.”

Jongdae scoffs, amused by the idea of his best friend playing at being a doctor of love. “Then what do you suggest?”

“I don’t know, set you up with someone? Maybe…” And really, Jongdae knows that Baekhyun is just playing around when he searches the whole café for someone eligible to date because there’s only one other person there who isn’t an employee. “Someone like him?”

Jongdae doesn’t know what he expects, but it definitely isn’t Baekhyun standing up and going to the man three tables away from them to talk to him, seriously carrying out his suggestion. “Excuse me, but this friend of mine has some… err.. problems.” Minseok looks up from his half-eaten sandwich, crumbs dotting the side of his lips and hastily wiping them away with the back of his hand.

Upon his questioning look, Baekhyun continues, stamping out the excitement from his face with a fraud look of worry. “He’s really sad right now, and even I can’t seem to cheer him up. Must be the heartbreak,” and it is then that Minseok realizes that it wasn’t Baekhyun who Jongdae was waiting for: it was someone else. Someone who walked a different path and hasn’t found his way back. Maybe because he doesn’t want to.

Minseok tilts his head to the side, and Baekhyun uses the opportunity to advance, seeing the openly interested look in the other’s face. “And I’m sorry for taking too much of your time, but you’re probably the sanest,” _if not the only other_ Baekhyun almost adds, eyes darting to the unoccupied tables nearby “person I’ve seen in the area who’s somehow maybe possibly the only person who I can set him up with? Like, just something to serve as a distraction. You know, to help him out.”

Baekhyun doesn’t even need to use aegyo to try to persuade Minseok, because the guy decisively stands up with a grunt as if he’s being forced to do this. But he has seen the stolen glances and the peeks from peripheral vision to know that Minseok is nothing near uninterested.

Baekhyun traipses toward the door when Minseok finally stands up, leaving an embarrassed Jongdae behind, mouthing “Thank me later,” before bolting out of sight (before Jongdae stands up, catches up with him and strangles him for whatever he said to Minseok), a scream of “You still owe me a drink!” caught up in his throat.

“Why am I even friends with people like you,” Jongdae mutters between closed lips. “I do not deserve your treachery right now, you know.”

“Hi, I’m Minseok.” He greets with a tight smile, trying not to give out everything with his facial expression. Jongdae groans, covering his face with his hands. “He just set you up on a date with me, didn’t he?”

Minseok nods, but seeing as Jongdae has still his hands over his face, he clears his throat, and says (squeaks, more like it) “Maybe”.

Jongdae finally removes his hand from his face, lacing them together and propping his elbows on top of the table. “Well then, I’m Kim Jongdae. It’s nice to meet you. Again.”

And it slowly sinks into Minseok’s brain that it means that Jongdae has known of his existence even before this, and maybe even about his little crush at the boy who always glances at his watch before looking out the window.

Yixing watches them with a smile from where he’s standing by the counter, scribbling on a memo pad.

_And they lived happily ever after?_

Jongdae leaves the café past 5pm that day, not the usual forlorn expression on his face, but a smile and a promise of better tomorrows, and a belief in the works of fate.

Things just might end well for them.  


  



End file.
